Same Script, Different Cast
by danrdarrenc
Summary: Kate has a chat about Jack with Juliet. Oneshot inspired by the song "Same Script, Different Cast" by Whitney Houston and Deborah Cox.


Kate Austen was sitting in her house in Dharmaville. She was not sure she really wanted to be here; Jack Shepard lived a few houses down and they had just broken up. But she was comfortable in the house and really did not want to trek across the island to the beach where she would be roughing it. Plus, she needed to talk to Juliet Burke, the resident doctor.

The doorbell rang. Kate stood up and made her way to the door. She opened the door and found Juliet standing there.

"Juliet, thanks for meeting me," Kate said as Juliet entered the house and closed the door behind her.

"Kate, what's this about?"

"I'm not going to beat around the bush here. I know Jack's leaving me for you," Kate said pointedly. Juliet just stared at her.

"Who said that? Did Jack tell you that?" Juliet said, sitting down on the couch.

"So it's true, then?" Kate asked her heart sinking like a rock.  
"I neither confirm nor deny it, Kate," Juliet said.

"You 'neither confirm nor deny it'?" Kate mocked. Juliet nodded. "What's he telling you, Juliet? Is he telling you what he told me?" Kate sat down on the chair across from the couch.

"He told me that he loved me," Juliet said without a thought of how hurtful it would be to Kate to hear that.

"I most definitely heard that," Kate said. "Did he also tell you that you're the most beautiful person in the world?"

"How did you know that?" Juliet asked, suspicious.

"Because I've been there. I know how he works. Your relationship with Jack is a retake of mine and Jack's," Kate said, crossing her arms. "I was the apple of his eye for as long as we've been on this damned island. His inspiration. His star. And now the roles are changed. Same script, different cast. It appears that you're his inspiration now. Turn on the lights and the camera because I hope you're ready to be Jack's star. So I hope you enjoy it while it lasts. But when he's done with you and moved on to someone new, don't say I didn't warn you," Kate said, standing up.

Juliet stood up, too, and said, "That may be true. But how could I possibly take advice from you? You hate me because Jack doesn't love you anymore."

Kate laughed. "I don't hate you, Juliet. I hate myself for believing that Jack and I would last forever. I wish there had been someone before me to warn me like I'm warning you."

"You know what. You're just lashing out that you couldn't make it work with Jack. I am not listening to you anymore," Juliet said, crossing the room and leaving Kate's house.

Kate followed Juliet out into the courtyard shared by all the houses.

"I know you hear me, Juliet. And maybe you're right. Maybe my reasons are wrong. But I know that somewhere deep inside you believe me."

"That's a lie," Juliet said, stopping in her tracks.

"You keep telling yourself that," Kate jeered. "Just remember that he told me day in and day out how much he loved me and how much I inspired him to do everything that he was doing to find us a way off this island. And now he's telling you that. So when the curtain has closed on you and Jack just remember that it was me who warned you."

"Don't try and tell me how my relationship with Jack is going to end up because you're angry at yourself for not loving him enough," Juliet spat.

"Not loving him enough? You have it all wrong. I loved him too much. That was the problem. He became unattracted to me because I was so in love with him. I wasn't a challenge anymore. He didn't have to work for my affections. _That_ was the problem," Kate said, color rising in her cheeks.

"Well, he's changed. And I will prove it to you," Juliet said, poking Kate in the chest.

"If you say so," Kate mocked.

"Just go away and leave us the hell alone because he loves me," Juliet said firmly.

"He may love you now, Juliet, but in the end all he will end up doing is hurting you. Take it from someone who knows."

"He'll stay with me."

"Until he finds someone new, anyway. Until it's time for him to find someone else who he thinks he needs help from to get home. Then he'll leave you like he left me."

"And you know that for sure?" Juliet said, her voice delicate.

"For sure. Because you and him are a retake of him and me. The only difference is that it's you he's infatuated with now."

"You keep saying this is a retake of you and Jack. But you know what? It's not. My relationship with Jack is not your relationship with Jack. And, quite frankly, my relationship with Jack is none of your business. I'm Jack's future and you're his past. So stay out of it," Juliet said, turning around and walking into her house, slamming the door behind her.

"Gladly! But don't say I didn't warn you!"


End file.
